Book review: R2I by Parth Pandya
I had joined a Facebook group called “Seattle Area Quizzers” and came across the profile of someone called Parth Pandya. I immediately sent him a friend request on finding another Gujju quizzer in Seattle. A few days later, he drops a bombshell online, it was something that almost every NRI in the US must have debated at some point or the other. He decided to move back to India, with his wife and two kids!
I met him in person for the first time, when he had come to Redmond for an office trip and in-fact, he was hosting a Bollywood quiz that evening. After the quiz, he handed me over the signed copy of his second book called R2I: Return to India. It was his tale of living in India after spending almost sixteen years in the United States, after being a naturalized as a US citizen. In the foreword, he says that the book is meant for people to enjoy, be it if they are in the same boat as him, or if they are someone for whom this decision does not make sense, or if they are someone like me who romanticize with the idea, but are scared of leaving the luxuries behind. True to its foreword, this book did not disappoint.
Well I have not read his first book, where he talks about his thoughts leading to this decision, and so I might only have a partial overview of his ruminations. The book is divided into various small chapters, highlighting important aspects in his life such as finding school for his children, driving in India and buying a car, his work-life balance etc. What’s amazing is that the chapters are extremely relatable, even though his experiences were solely his and mine could be way different despite the same title.
The book exposes common concerns that Indians in US have and there have been no attempts to pit one country against the other. But it is quite evident that the decision was more emotional, more Bollywood like, than a very financially rewarding one (I was tempted to use the term “calculated” here). I also think that this is one of those journeys that can happen only in India and maybe a few other places. Life is full of regrets, but I am quite happy that this decision is bringing him the minimum regret at this point in life.
I had hoped that the book would answer a lot of questions and would serve as a play book for romantics like me, but the book ends with more questions than before. The visa situation is extremely tricky, and if I ever make a R2I journey, it is most likely going to be a one way ticket. Looking at his timeline, I still have fourteen more years to think and make a decision, but the universe is simply not going to wait to play its tricks.
At the end of the day, Parth bhai is an engineer and not an author, and I really liked the candor with which he wrote. It was a very short, yet a very entertaining read and I think its staying into my newly made bookshelf.
